Wrapping up.

Last weekend we took a total of 20 students to the Student Conference in the capital city. We had an amazing trip! 5 of them were nonbelievers and they seemed a little nervous about going, considering 4 of them had never been to anything like church before. The fact that they even wanted to come was awesome enough, but watching them learn so much about The Truth & hearing them sing worship songs to our God was truly amazing! A few of them are SO close to surrendering to the Jesus. They understand it and want it; however, their biggest fear is often what their parents will say or do if they become Christians. Yet they are still seeking. It has been amazing this last week here to see how many have grown so much closer to becoming Christians, and how the believers have been strengthened in their faith as well. Our Bible studies have grown, non-Christians are asking to come to church with us and reading Bibles we have given them. What a joy it is to see God at work here!

The other night we had our first Iranian meal. The young lady we have been meeting with to discuss Christianity invited us over for dinner & she also had 2 others from her country there, a man and a woman. The 3 of them amazed me with their questions and yearning to know about our Faith. One of them already has a Bible that we have given for her, and the other 2 asked if they could have a copy as well. It is obvious to see that they are seeking in their heart for the Truth, and what a privilege it is to be able to share that with them! :-)

So, we are “wrapping up” our summer here. In 2 days we will get on a plane, and probably never return to these people. I have mixed feelings about this. Yeah, I miss home alot, I miss my people and my food. Selfishly enough, I miss my daily routines and living for myself. BUT God has called me away from that for a reason. The more I sacrifice here, the more I have seen the fruit of His work through us. People here are seeking, hungry for Truth like i have NEVER seen before. And this last week that hunger has been amplified x10. It feels like we are at the climax of our project, but in reality its the end, we are leaving. Who is going to tell them, teach them, love them, and show them the way? I know God has a purpose for using my teammates and I here this summer, some of the rewards are obvious. But it doesn’t stop here. Please pray with me that these students will keep seeking the Truth and that God will give them the boldness to surrender. Pray that God will our supervisor to continue with these students during her last 3 months here. Pray that God will send more laborers to the field here in this city.

Hunger

Tonight I observed a hunger different than I’ve ever seen before. When you think of SE Asia, you may think of poverty and people living with little to nothing. Rather, where I am is not a third-world country, it is very modern. Food and entertainment are idolized. It’s normal to eat 5-6 big meals a day and go to the movies twice a week. The common greeting in one of the local native languages here translates to: “Have you eaten yet?”. Everything they do is centered around the variety of great food here. "They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” Phil. 3:19 This scripture reminds me of many people here, so happy in their materialism and “good” lives that they see no need for God. Much like America, except here there are less than 9% Christians. It is not a place where starvation is common. But tonight I saw hunger. The hunger was not for food. I saw people hungry for Truth. Tonight at Bible Study, 6 nonbelievers came. No one made them come or bribed them into being there, they came voluntarily. As I helped a couple of them find different scriptures we were reading from, it hit me that some of them have never used a Bible before, never heard the stories that we grew up hearing, and most importantly, do not know the Savior that died for them. But something is missing in their life, and they are searching. Praise God that He has brought believers and non believers to this Bible Study! Please pray for those who are coming to understand God’s Grace for them & their willingness to follow Him as they learn more.

This weekend we are going to the country’s capital for a student conference. Different student ministries from other cities will be there, and the conference will consist of worship, teaching, and small group sessions on topics like apologetics, evangelism, how to study the Bible, etc. We are taking a great group of about 25 students, some are not believers. Please pray for the conference and for the hearts of those who do not know Him, as well as the local believers to be strengthened in their faith. God IS working here, thank you for praying & please continue :)

“God has chosen me to understand, hasn’t He!?”

Those were the words of the young Middle Eastern woman we met with tonight. We first met her at our apartment complex over a week ago and finally hung out tonight at the mall. We spent some time asking about her country and her culture, and jumped right into religion. We discovered that although her home country requires everyone to be “Cousins” and her passport even says that she is, she does not conform to that. She doesn’t cover her head like them and doesn’t dress like them. She believed every way leads to God, and everything is about being a “good” person, as well as meditation and karma. It led into us presenting the Gospel to her. After explaining and making sure she was comprehending that Jesus is the only way to God, she responded to us saying, “Oh! Jesus is the bridge for us to get to God!” She also shared with us how some people in her family had moved to other countries in Europe and heard about Jesus and believed, but she had never really heard for herself. We told her how awesome it is that God brought her out of her home country to here, where she has more freedom, to hear about Him and actually understand what the Gospel means for her! Then I saw the light switch come on when she said, “God has chosen me to understand!” She cried, we cried. It was a Spirit-filled moment that felt so wonderful! She has admitted her sin, and believes in Jesus, but we are unsure to how or when she will commit her life to Him. Please pray with us for guidance and discernment as we continue to meet with this young lady. We have the Word in her language to give her, and she wants to come to our Study this week. So please pray that she will continue to understand and respond to God calling her to Him. We know that The Enemy is always attacking, with people from her country in particular. So me asking you to pray for us right now is an understatement!

Also, I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with 2 other girls separately this weekend, each of them are searching, and both believe a strange mixture of God + Karma. Pray for them to seek Him, and for us as we follow-up with them.

Jungle Monkeys & Hot-dog Eating Contests!

We have passed the half-way point of the summer here! As of right now, I have 23 more days. Ministry is in high gear- -visiting campuses, having lunch with students, playing frisbee, having Bible Studies, discipling believers, and sharing the Gospel with those who have never heard it. Last weekend we went for a hike up and over a mountain to the beach with a small group of students. It was beautiful hike that was a mixture of jungle (with monkeys!!!) and mountain terrain. The beach was a lot of fun, and at the end of the day we had the opportunity to share the Gospel with 3 of the students with us. There are so many more who need to hear. We are seeking every opportunity to share with them, and most of the relationships we have are now at the point where we can do that effectively. Please pray for boldness & the Spirit’s work in sharing. More stories to come later :-)

This is one of the many monkeys I encountered on the hike, carrying its cute baby :-)

Ultimate Frisbee on Monday & Friday afternoons has been a great outreach for our student ministry. A lot of our relationships have been built through this sport.

4th of July Celebration at one of our campuses. We were the only Americans there, but the Asians celebrated in style with singing the National Anthem, & hosting a hotdog eating & root beer drinking contest! Paul came in 1st place!

Divine Appointment?

Yesterday was our day “off”. We try to take one day a week to just relax & recharge. However, I locked myself and Kayla out of the apartment. Oops :) We had to wait about 3 hours for our supervisor to get home. Fortunately, we were stranded by the pool sunbathing all day, and we did at least have water to drink and Bibles to read. By the time she returned, I was hungry so I started my way upstairs for a very late lunch when this young Middle Eastern woman stopped me. She had mistaken me for a European she had met before, but continued to talk. She just moved here for school and is looking to make friends because she doesn’t know anyone. So I introduced myself & my friends, and got her number so that we can go out to lunch soon. Please please please pray that I will get the opportunity to meet with this lady soon, and that she will be open & accepting of the Gospel. I believe that the reason we were locked out all day was just to cross paths with this lady at that point and time. I’m so thankful that God doesn’t take a day off! ;-)

Insufficient

2 Corinthians 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant...”

I am not competent to do this ministry. Honestly, it is tiring and very difficult. I am surrounded by people of false faiths or no faith at all, they will die and go to Hell if they do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. “How will they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom.10:14-15) God has called me here to proclaim Him to these people. I am so unworthy of this privilege to be His ambassador. & the ONLY way this mission can be accomplished is by God. It is my eager cry to God today to make me competent, for the Spirit to flow through me and speak His truth to these beautiful people that God loves so much. Please pray with me for God’s strength and competence in ministry, & also the energy to serve.

My Chinese Name

Given to me last night at Bible Study. I was super excited about how cool it looks, then I asked about the meaning. The first character doesn’t mean anything, but the second character means “missing someone”. I know it sounds depressing, but weirdly enough its always true!